US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands at the conclusion of a joint press conference in the White House in September. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
By Matt Spetalnick, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters
US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have reached a long-sought deal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, under his plan for ending the two-year-old war in the Palestinian enclave.
Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel that triggered the devastating assault on Gaza, indirect talks in Egypt have yielded an agreement on the initial stage of Trump's 20-point framework.
If implemented, the deal would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, and reshaping the Middle East.
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump said on Truth Social.
"This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace," he added.
Referring to the hostages held by Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "With God's help we will bring them all home."
He said he would convene his government on Thursday (local time) to approve the agreement.
Hamas confirmed it had reached an agreement to end the war, saying the deal included an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a hostage-prisoner exchange, but the group called on Trump and guarantor states to ensure Israel fully implemented the ceasefire.
Earlier, Trump said that a deal was almost done and he may travel to Egypt this weekend, possibly leaving as soon as Saturday.
"All Parties will be treated fairly!" he said on Truth Social. "This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen."
Successful completion of the deal would mark the biggest foreign policy achievement so far for a president who took office in January, promising to quickly end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, only to be confronted with obstacles and complexities he had apparently not foreseen.
Senior envoys from the US, Qatar and Turkey had joined the talks, apparently adding momentum to discussions launched on Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Trump sent son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Israel was represented by Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu.
Despite the hopes raised for ending the war, crucial details are yet to be spelled out, including the timing, a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened, since Israel began its military response to the Hamas cross-border attack on 7 October, 2023. About 1200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, with 20 of the 48 hostages still held believed to be alive.
Hostage release expected in days
A Hamas source said the living hostages would be handed over within 72 hours of the Israeli government approving the deal. An Israeli government spokesperson said the hostage release was expected to begin on the weekend.
Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone, and congratulated each other on the agreement, and the Israeli prime minister invited the US president to address Israel's parliament, according to Netanyahu's office.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hamas said it had handed over its lists of the hostages it held and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel that it wanted to be exchanged.
The list of Palestinians Hamas wants freed was expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever jailed by Israel, whose release had been off limits in previous ceasefires.
According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, the list includes Marwan al-Barghouti, a leader of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.
Hamas has so far refused to discuss Israel's demand that Hamas gives up its arms, which the Palestinian source said Hamas would reject, as long as Israeli troops occupied Palestinian land.
Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that sticking points included the mechanism for the Israeli withdrawal, with Hamas seeking a clear timeline linked to the release of hostages and guarantees of a complete pullout by Israeli forces.
Within Gaza, Israel has dialled down its military campaign at Trump's behest, but it has not halted strikes altogether. The Israeli military said its forces had killed several militants in Gaza City - Gaza's main urban hub - whom it said were on their way to attack Israeli soldiers.
Gaza medical authorities reported eight people killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, the lowest toll for weeks. Daily death tolls had been about 10 times as high over the past month, as Israeli forces advance on Gaza City.
Arab countries say plan must lead to Palestinian state
The next phase of Trump's plan calls for an international body, led by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to play a role in Gaza's post-war administration. Arab countries, which back the plan, say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.
There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, and Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007.
Hamas has said it would relinquish Gaza governance only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority, and backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.
Global outrage has mounted against Israel's assault. Rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say it amounts to genocide, but Israel calls its actions self-defence, after the 2023 Hamas attack.
- Reuters
